Real Madrid is set to face Manchester City this evening at the Santiago Bernabeu, kick-off scheduled for 21:00 CEST. The team is dealing with several notable injuries, as Álvaro Arbeloa will square off against Pep Guardiola for the first time as a manager, a matchup that has been a fixture for the past five seasons.
Arbeloa can analyze their previous encounter this season, where Manchester City emerged victorious with a score of 2-1. Unfortunately for Real Madrid, they will be missing Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Eder Militao, Alvaro Carreras, David Alaba, and Dani Ceballos due to injuries. There are also doubts regarding the fitness of Eduardo Camavinga and Dean Huijsen, while Franco Mastantuono will be serving a suspension. In contrast, Guardiola will prepare without Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic, yet has a broader selection of players to choose from.
Arbeloa to Give Thiago Pitarch Another Start
According to Diario AS, young midfielder Thiago Pitarch is expected to start for a third consecutive match. The only anticipated changes from the recent 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo may include the potential returns of Huijsen and Gonzalo Garcia, who could replace Raul Asencio or Brahim Diaz.
Sport suggests that both of those changes are likely, and predicts a surprising start for Dani Carvajal, especially after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s challenging performance in Galicia. They also anticipate that Camavinga will take the place of Pitarch.
Manchester City Aiming for Victory with an Aggressive Line-Up
Image via Sport.
Guardiola is likely to pursue a win at the Bernabeu, deploying only two natural defenders in his starting XI. Converted players Nico O’Reilly and Matheus Nunes will be tasked with containing Fede Valverde and Vinicius. Jeremy Doku is anticipated to start on the left wing over Antoine Semenyo, with a possible surprise appearance from Omar Marmoush.
Although recent trends suggest that Marmoush may start on the bench, the central creative force is expected to be Rayan Cherki. Real Madrid will also have an opportunity to closely observe summer transfer target Rodri Hernandez.